The older we get, the less meaning that birthday celebrations have for us. It seems that birthday celebrations during our younger years are important and exciting and they still have meaning once we have reached landmark ages, but the middle years are often ignored. It does not need to be this way, though. You can create some birthday celebrations that will be fun for people of any age. If you put some thought and a little bit of work and time into the next birthday party that you throw for a friend or relative, you can help them enjoy it without even reminding them about their age.

Theme PartiesOne of the more popular trends in birthday celebrations is theme parties. These types of parties are fun for guests of all ages. Find out something that the guest of honor is interested in. Then, when you make the invitations, style them in a way according to that particular interest. For instance, if the birthday person is a celebrity watcher, you can throw a birthday party centered on the theme of the Academy Awards. The invitations can be elegant and have a picture of the Oscar statue on the cover. You can also ask the guests to come as the favorite Hollywood celebrity that is dressed up as if they were attending the actual awards show. Let the guest of honor know about the theme, too. That way, they can join in the fun by dressing up. Besides, if the birthday person is the only one not participating in the actual theme of the party, they might feel odd.

There are many other theme party ideas that you can use, too. Anything that the guest of honor is interested in can be turned into a theme party. If the birthday person is an avid gambler, have a Las Vegas theme. Everybody can come to the party dressed as “high rollers” or you can even have casino games at the party. You can also center a theme party on a certain time in history, a particular TV show or you can also have a Hawaiian theme party. The possibilities are literally endless.

Surprise!!If the guest of honor is younger or middle-aged, surprise parties often make for ideal birthday celebrations. This can be tricky, though, and may take extra time to put together. When you send out the invitations, be sure to mention that it will be a surprise party. Otherwise, an invited guest might let the secret slip to the birthday person.

When throwing a surprise birthday party, it might also be a good idea to have the part at somebody else’s house. This can be either a close friend or a relative, but make sure that it is somebody who you can spend time with preparing for the party. You will need to decorate, cook, and plan the party with this person. Also, be sure that it is somebody’s house that the guest of honor would normally visit. If you are throwing a surprise party for your mom and you take her to a stranger’s house, she might suspect something suspicious.

On the other hand, if you are throwing a surprise party for your husband at a friend’s house, he will likely suspect that you are both coming over for dinner.

The guests for the surprise party should also park down the street or in a hidden area if possible. A large number of cars parked along the street will look like there is a party going on. If the cars are familiar and parked along the street, the surprise will be ruined. You can even throw the surprise party at the guest of honor’s favorite restaurant. Simply tell all the guests to show up at the restaurant about a half hour early so you do not run into any of them when you walk in. If there is a private room or area in the restaurant, use that so the guests can be loud and have a good time.

Finally, the fewer invited guests for a surprise party, the more likely it is to be kept a secret. The more people you tell, the greater the chance that somebody will let the surprise slip out accidentally. Keep it small and limited to the closest friends and family. This typically adds to the fun anyways.

The 21stTurning 21 is a great time in anybody’s life. Help your friend or relative celebrate it the traditional way – barhopping. Get a few friends together and make a plan of the bars that you want to visit. One way to thoroughly enjoy the night is to rent a limo for everybody who is going with you.

This relieves everybody from the responsibility of driving so nobody needs to stay sober to drive.

Before planning your barhopping night, do some research at some of your local bars. Find ones that have drink specials for those who are having birthday celebrations at the bar. Oftentimes, some bars will give free drinks to a person who is turning 21. But there is also a bonus. Some bars will give free drinks on the eve of the 21st birthday because the person technically turns 21 at midnight. Some places may have ordinances that prohibit this, though.

Getaway for a few daysIf you want to throw the perfect birthday celebration for your spouse, one of the best things you can do is to take a weekend trip or just go somewhere for a day. Go to a romantic spa or a bed and breakfast that is only a few hours away. Make sure you get far enough away that it feels like a vacation but not so far that it takes too long to drive there. Try to ensure that it is a relaxing getaway that everybody will enjoy.

This idea can also work for friends, too. Many airlines offer special deals on Las Vegas trips so you can often get cheap round-trip tickets. If the birthday person’s favorite band is coming close to your area around the time of their birthday, you can also get tickets for the concert. It might be even easier to get tickets to a particular sports event for their favorite team, too.

Keep it simpleSometimes a person having a birthday just wants to enjoy the day with their closest friends and family. Instead of something that takes weeks of planning and costs money, just inviting some friends and family over for cake and ice cream can be an ideal birthday celebration. This gives everybody a time to just enjoy each other’s company while still celebrating with the guest of honor.

When trying to plan birthday celebrations for somebody, you have many options available to you. When in doubt about what you should do, ask the birthday person (except in the case of a surprise party, of course). Since it is supposed to be a day for them to celebrate, you want to make every effort to make it most enjoyable for the person. Try not to get caught up in the planning so that you lose focus on what the day is really about. Concentrate on the guest of honor and the party will undoubtedly be a success.

Season’s Eatings: Test your holiday fare IQChocolate chip cookies. Gingerbread cookies. Strawberry pie. It's the stuff that summer dreams are made of. But when it comes to seasonal eats, how much do you really know? See how you fare with our birthday food quiz.